Newswatch

Shark bites teenage bodyboarder at Kahului Harbor

Department of Land and Natural Resources officials closed Maui's Kahului Harbor to ocean enthusiasts yesterday after a 15-year-old boy was bitten by a shark at the popular bodysurfing spot known as Ledges.

The boy, who sustained injuries to his heel and calf, told DLNR personnel that the shark was about 6 feet long. The boy's condition is unknown.

The incident happened just after 3:30 p.m. and brought a premature end to a busy day in which bodyboarders and other ocean users flocked to the harbor to take advantage of waves produced by a large northeasterly swell.

HECO repairs keep lights on at Ala Moana Center

After a vexing week in which chronic power failures disrupted last-minute holiday shopping, Ala Moana Center vendors returned to work yesterday to find the mall's balky power system back at full strength — just in time for the post-Christmas rush of returns, exchanges and post-holiday deal hunting.

Hawaiian Electric Co. confirmed that there were no reported outages at the shopping center yesterday.

A series of short circuits over four consecutive days last week left portions of the center in darkness, forcing dozens of stores to temporarily close.

HECO crews worked almost nonstop over the weekend to replace a transformer at the Makaloa Street substation that was damaged by Dec. 19's heavy rain, rewiring normal backup power to keep lights and air conditioning working at the mall, and shifting from backup power back to normal service once the new transformer was installed.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

VA recognizes cemetery with 'shrine status'

KAILUA-KONA » The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded "shrine status" to the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery.

Only three state-owned veterans cemeteries in the country have the status, which means a cemetery's design and features meet the National Cemetery Administration's standards. The Kailua-Kona cemetery is the only one so honored in Hawaii.

The 62-acre cemetery was established in 1997 but had problems early on with sinking graves. The West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery Development and Expansion Association has since installed an irrigation system, added topsoil and sodded the burial field with grass.

Arakawa calls energy pick a job creator

Maui Mayor-elect Alan Arakawa has appointed Douglas McLeod, a former environmental lawyer, as county energy commissioner.

Arakawa told the Maui News that McLeod will help meet his administration's "aggressive renewable energy goals" and help create jobs.

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